FOOTWEAR INDUSTRY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19132, 29 September 1936, Page 6

FOOTWEAR INDUSTRY

INCREASING IMPORTS EFFECT IN NEW ZEALAND At least two important sections of the footwear manufacturing industry woie seriously affected as a result of then production costs being increased by recent legislation, white the Government's' counterbalancing or safeguarding policy had not yet been brought 'into effect) said .Mr. A. K. Mandor, secretary of the New Zealand .Manufacturers federation, in a recent statement. The sections ot the industry most severely affected at the moment weie tho manufacturers ot slippers and of children's shoes. “In these fields,” said Mr. Manner, “the position is most disconcerting. While New Zealand manufacturers of slippers and children’s shoes are being forced to shorten sail, importation today is increasing by leaps and bounds. (Tor instance, comparing August, .1935, and August, 1936, the importation oi children's shoes alone from the United Kingdom increased by 35 per cent,, and importation from Japan increased bv nearly 100 per cent. “Total importation from all countries lias increased enormously*. Comparing August, of lasi, year with August of this year, in the former month we imported altogether 4661 dozen pairs of children’s ! shoes, while in the corresponding month of this year the number rose to 7387. Slippers imported in August of last year totalled 406 dozen pairs, while in August of this year the number rose do 1210 dozen. The Prime. Minister has. repeatedly declared that ho is keeping it watch over imports, and warned importers that the Government will take drastic action as soon as- there is evidence that importations arc. unduly increasing. It looks as though in regard to shoes and •slippers at least lhe time lias already arrived tor the Government to honour its pledge to the industry in New Zealand.”

After a discussion in committee yesterday, the Gisborne Harbour Hoard decided that in future members of the outside staff who lose tune owing to illness not attributable to their work also will lose pav for the period of their incapacitation.